Adjustable support bracket for concrete reinforcing bars

ABSTRACT

An adjustable bracket is provided for supporting concrete reinforcing bars for use in the construction of concrete structures. In particular, The present invention is an apparatus, system and method for supporting concrete reinforcing bars as used in the construction of concrete structures. In particular, this invention relates to an adjustable support for reinforcement bar, or similar reinforcing members, a plurality of which are disposed within a concrete form. The support is adjustable to a desired length corresponding to the cross-sectional width of the form. The support is mounted across opposing form walls providing a simple, inexpensive and time-saving means of positioning reinforcing bars in an essentially parallel arrangement within the form prior to the form&#39;s being filled with liquified concrete. In one embodiment of the present invention, and adjustable support is disclosed having an assembly of interlocking members with one member supportable by one form wall and having multiple holes for reinforcement bar, and another member supportable by an opposing form wall and having multiple retainer segments aligned with the reinforcement bar holes of the first member, whereby the two members are axially positionable and lockable to a desired length of bracket to support transversely mounted reinforcing bars. In an alternate embodiment, an adjustable bracket is formed of two molded members, each of which has multiple holes for reinforcement bar, the first member being supportable from a first by wall and the second member being supportable by an opposing wall, whereby each member is overlapped with the other to be axially positionable and lockable to a desired length of bracket. In another embodiment, an adjustable bracket is formed of two molded members, the first member of which is supportable by one form wall and has multiple holes for reinforcement bar and score marks at regular intervals to allow a worker to selectively and easily break off an undesired excess length of material. The second member is supportable by an opposing form wall and has a recess to receive the broken-off end of the first member, whereby the two members are axially positionable to a desired length of bracket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 60/645,911, entitled “ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT BRACKET FOR CONCRETEREINFORCING BARS,” filed Feb. 23, 2005.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to brackets for supporting concrete reinforcingrods as used in the construction of concrete structures. In particular,this invention relates to an adjustable support bracket forreinforcement bar, or similar reinforcing members, a plurality of whichare disposed within a concrete form. The support is adjustable to adesired length corresponding to the cross-sectional width of the form.The support is mounted across opposing form walls providing a simple,inexpensive and time-saving means for positioning pieces ofreinforcement bar in an essentially parallel arrangement within the formprior to the form's being filled with liquified concrete.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the art of building construction it is common practice to cast thebase or foundation with concrete. A trench or excavation channel isprepared into which the forms, either made from steel or wood, are setup adjacent and connected to each other matching the dimensions of therequired foundation (footing). The forms, which are steel panels orwooden boards or planks, are put into position on their edges acrossfrom each other and parallel to each other near the side walls of thetrench.

After being placed into position, the forms are usually secured bystakes and other devices that are sufficient to prevent the form frombeing displaced. As more and more governments update their respectivebuilding codes, the number of locations that require pier blocks to bereinforced with steel is growing. Steel reinforcement generally takesthe form of reinforcing bars (re-bar) or bars that are placed in theform in such a manner that the wet concrete completely covers thereinforcing bar. However, haphazard positioning of the reinforcing barswould result in a weakened concrete structure lacking in the ability toproperly dissipate forces. A preferred placement of horizontallyoriented reinforcing bars is usually with multiple bars arranged in aparallel configuration with respect to each other within a givenfooting. Horizontally oriented reinforcing bar is generally held inplace by using separate reinforcing bar mounting stands. Some of thegenerally available reinforcing bar stands can be connected to the formafter the form has been constructed, while others are positioned in theform and the reinforcing bar is placed on the device. Verticallyoriented reinforcing bar is generally secured in the form by devicesthat are connected to the form after it is constructed. Placing thereinforcing bar securing devices in the desired location within the formrequires additional labor and some degree of skill.

The footings for a construction project may be of various thicknessesdepending upon a particular building design or applicable buildingcodes. The thickness of a given footing will determine the requirementsfor the reinforcing bars to be used in terms of quantity and orientationwithin the footing. A customary construction practice has been to usemetal wiring to secure one or more pieces of reinforcing bar intoposition, usually by wrapping the wire around suspended from the topedges of the forms or the stakes securing the forms. The reinforcingbars are secured in a number of locations along the length of a footing.While this practice is cost-effective from a materials standpoint, it isexpensive in terms of the time and labor required.

Several attempts have been made to address these issues by providingalternatives to the labor-intensive and costly wiring of reinforcingbars into position within a concrete structure.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,817 to Griffiths discloses a spacer adapted to holda reinforcing rod or bar for a concrete structure in a pre-selectedposition within the structure. Particularly, Griffiths teaches a spacerfor positioning a reinforcing rod in a desired position with anelongated void to be filled with concrete, such as with stacked concreteblocks where a void of each block is aligned with that of the blocksabove and below.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,634 to Adams discloses a plastic support bracket forconcrete reinforcing bars for supporting reinforcing bars win concretewhile the concrete is being poured, particularly within reinforcedconcrete beams. The support brackets allow for reinforcing bars to besnapped into place on the bracket enabling the bars to be rigidly heldin a parallel position along the length of the concrete structure. Apredetermined length of bracket must me selected for a given beamcorresponding to the width of a channel in the forms used.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,262 to Uehara et al. discloses a bar positioningmember comprising a long metal wire or rod having at least oneindentation to receive an intersectingly disposed metal bar, and anapparatus for making a bar positioning member. Particularly, theinvention relates to a reinforcing steel bar positioning member for usein assembling steel bars into grate-like reinforcements prior to placingconcrete in a reinforced concrete structure.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,775 to Padrun discloses an extensible reinforcingbar assembly and clip that provides for a plurality of concretereinforcing bars to be extended with respect to each other to establisha desired combined length.

The prior art provides a number of support devices for holdingreinforcing bars in a desired position while concrete is being poured.While these devices offer a cost-saving alternative in the constructionof concrete forms, a problem remains when a construction projectrequires forms of different thicknesses. Additional time would berequired to have these devices modified for different wall thickness, oradditional expense would be involved in maintaining an inventory ofvarious length brackets for a particular project.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple andcost-effective apparatus for supporting concrete reinforcing bars thatoffers an improved alternative to wiring reinforcing bars into positionwithin a reinforced concrete structure.

It is another object to provide an adjustable bracket for supportingconcrete reinforcing bars that addresses the need for a standardizedproduct that can be used for a variety of wall thicknesses of a concretestructure.

It is a further object to provide an adjustable bracket for supportingconcrete reinforcing bars that can be simply and selectively adjusted inlength to correspond with a given wall thickness.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system forreinforcing a concrete structure having a plurality of adjustablesupport brackets that supports a plurality of reinforcing bars within aconcrete structure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method ofconstructing reinforced concrete structures utilizing a plurality ofadjustable support brackets that supports a plurality of reinforcingbars.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an apparatus, system and method for supportingconcrete reinforcing bars for use in the construction of concretestructures. In particular, this invention relates to an adjustablesupport bracket for reinforcement bar, or similar reinforcing members, aplurality of which are disposed within a concrete form. The support isadjustable to a desired length corresponding to the cross-sectionalwidth of the form. The support is mounted across opposing form wallsproviding a simple, inexpensive and time-saving means for positioningpieces of reinforcement bar in an essentially parallel arrangementwithin the form prior to the form's being filled with liquifiedconcrete. In one embodiment of the present invention, an adjustablesupport is disclosed having an assembly of interlocking wire memberswith one member supportable by one form wall and having multiple holesfor reinforcement bar, and another member supportable by an opposingform wall and having multiple retainer segments aligned with thereinforcement bar holes of the first member, whereby the two elementsare axially positionable and lockable to a desired length of bracket tosupport transversely mounted reinforcing bars.

In an alternate embodiment, an adjustable bracket is formed of twomolded members, each of which has multiple holes for reinforcement bar,the first element being supportable from a first by wall and the secondelement being supportable by an opposing wall, whereby each member isoverlapped with the other to be axially positionable and lockable to adesired length of bracket.

In another embodiment, an adjustable bracket is formed of two moldedmembers, the first member of which is supportable by one form wall andhas multiple holes for reinforcement bar and score marks at regularintervals to allow an installer to selectively and easily break off anundesired excess length of material. The second member is supportable byan opposing form wall and has a recess to receive the broken-off end ofthe first member, whereby the two members are axially positionable to adesired length of bracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of anadjustable bracket of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of anadjustable bracket of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial section view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partial section view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of anadjustable bracket of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of an adjustablebracket of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of an adjustablebracket of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of an adjustablebracket of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the sixth embodiment as seen fromsection A-A in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For a complete understanding of the features and operation of thepresent invention, reference is now made to the drawings of theinvention along with the accompanying figures in which correspondingnumerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts of theinvention.

The general features of the present invention are described as anadjustable support having an assembly of interlocking members with onemember supportable by one form wall and having multiple recesses forretaining a plurality of reinforcement bars on a transverse axis, andanother member supportable by an opposing form wall and having a lengththat engages the first member, whereby the two members are axiallypositionable and lockable to a desired length of bracket. The resultingassembly provides an adjustable bracket for supporting concretereinforcing bars that can be simply and selectively adjusted in lengthto correspond with a given wall thickness.

A standardized bracket that can be easily adjusted by an installer willsignificantly reduce the time and expense of otherwise providing avariety of fixed-size brackets for a project requiring a variety ofconcrete structure thicknesses. A simple assembly of a few parts by aninstaller will be all that is necessary to adapt the adjustable bracketto a required structure thickness. A number of such brackets would beset into a form, the brackets being supported by opposing form walls,along a form length. Once the brackets were properly positioned, one ormore pieces of reinforcing bar would be inserted into the recesses ofeach bracket in a parallel arrangement. A concrete pour could thenbegin.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of an adjustable bracket assembly 1 of thepresent invention. A first member 5 has a first end with a wall-engagingsurface 30 that is supported by a first form wall 15. Starting at thesecond end of the first member 5 is a plurality of longitudinallydisposed recessions 35 located along the length of the first member 5between the second end and the first end. Each of the recessions 35 issized to receive and hold a transversely mounted reinforcing rod 25.Each recession 35 is just larger than the cross-sectional diameter of areinforcing rod 25 to allow a reinforcing rod 25 be slidably adjustedalong the length of a form once it is installed in the bracket assembly1. An upward-opening in each recession 35 is sized just smaller than thecross-sectional diameter of a reinforcing rod 25 such that a reinforcingrod 25 can be lowered to the opening of each recession 35 on a bracketassembly 1, and then snapped downward into the recession 35 byapplication of a downward force. A second member 10 has a first end witha wall-engaging surface 30 that is supported by a second form wall 20.Starting at the second end of the second member 10 is a plurality oflongitudinally disposed projections 40 located along the length of thesecond member 10 between the second end and the first end. Theprojections 40 correspond to and are aligned with the recessions 35 onthe first member 5, and are The projections 40 are angled or curvedtoward the corresponding recessions 35 such that the first member 5 andthe second member 10 can be overlapped to engage each other at any oneof a plurality of locations along a common longitudinal axis, and theprojections 40 of the second member 10 securely fit within therecessions 35 of the first member 5. The degree of overlap of the firstmember 5 and the second member 10 will allow an installer to lengthen orshorten the bracket assembly 1 to a desired length. Once a reinforcingrod 25 is inserted into a recession 35, it will maintain a constantdownward force on the projection 40 within that recession 35, therebylocking the first member 5 against the second member 10.

In this embodiment, the first member 5 and second member 10 are formedfrom medium steel wire that is bent to form the recessions 35 andlongitudinally disposed projections 40. Each member may be of acontinuous length of wire or may be built up of a plurality of pieceswelded together.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of first member 5 and the second member 10 havewall-engaging surfaces 30 that are formed by an upward angle 45 and anoutward angle 50 with respect to the common longitudinal axis of thebracket 1. The upward angle 45 and the outward angle 50 allow theadjustable bracket assembly 1 to support reinforcing bars 25 at apredetermined depth within a form. The upward angle 45 and the outwardangle 50 may be further supported by a right angle bend as shown in FIG.2, or any combination of angular bends that provides increased rigidityof the structure. A downward angle 55, and an inward angle 60 withrespect to the common longitudinal axis of the bracket 1 may beincorporated into the shape of the first member 5 and the second member10 as shown in FIG. 2. The downward and inward angle 55 provides a meansby which the bracket 1 is securely retained within a form due to theinward directed spring forces on the outsides of opposing form walls. Asecond outward bend 60 at the very end of the member allows thewall-engaging surface 30 to more readily engage the top of a form wall15. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that this configurationwould allow an adjustable bracket assembly 1 to be adapted for use inother than horizontal applications given the ability of the bracket 1 tosupport itself in position within a form and not rely exclusively on thedownward force of gravity.

The first end of the first member 5 and the first end of the secondmember 10 each have an end score 65 located at a position on each membersuch that an undesirable end piece can be easily removed by a workerafter a concrete structure cures. The end score 65 provides a weak spotthat enables the steel wire to be snapped off with a few quick bends ofthe first end of each member.

A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. In thisembodiment the first member 5 and second member 10 are also formed ofmedium steel wire that is bent to form the recessions 35 andlongitudinally disposed projections 40. The projections 40 are angled orcurved toward the corresponding recessions 35 such that the first member5 and the second member 10 can be overlapped to engage each other at anyone of a plurality of locations along a common longitudinal axis. Thefirst member 5 is further comprised of a plurality of apertures 70, andthe second member 10 is further comprised of a plurality of secondarylongitudinally disposed projections 75 that are angled or curved towardthe corresponding apertures 70, whereby the first member 5 and thesecond member 10 are simply aligned on a common longitudinal axis,overlapping to form a desired length of the bracket assembly 1, and arerotated to engage and interlock the recessions 35 and projections 40, asshown in detail in FIG. 3, and the apertures 70 and secondaryprojections 75, as shown in detail in FIG. 4. It will be obvious to oneskilled in the art to provide any number of apertures and projections,singly or in combination, to achieve interlocking forms for the firstmember 5 and the second member 10.

A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5. Each ofthe first member 5 and the second member 10 is formed of a ribbon-likemedium steel strip stock that is bent to form the recessions 35 andlongitudinally disposed projections 40. Each member may be of acontinuous length of wire or may be built up of a plurality of piecesboned or welded together. The size and shape of the second member 10 issuch that the second member 10 nests within the first member 5, wherebya desired length of the adjustable bracket assembly 1 is achieved bypositioning the two members to align corresponding recessions 35 andprojections 40, and laterally engaging and sliding the two memberstogether.

In a fourth embodiment as shown in FIG. 6, an adjustable bracket iscomprised a first member 5 and a second member 10, each of which has aplurality of recessions 35 for receiving a plurality of reinforcementbars 25. The first member 5 is supportable from a first form wall 15 andthe second member 10 is supportable by a second opposing form wall 20. Aforward-facing surface on the first member 5 has a plurality offasteners 85 such as snaps, clips or retaining tabs positioned along thelength of the first member 5 as shown in FIG. 7. The second member 10has a rearward-facing surface with a corresponding plurality offasteners 85 positioned thereon, as seen in detail in FIG. 8, such thatthe length of the bracket assembly 1 is adjustable by overlapping thefirst member 5 with the second member 10 to achieve a desired length,aligning the recessions 35 of each member, and engaging and snapping thefasteners 85 together. This embodiment is preferably made of steel stripstock that is easily bendable for form the required angles for engagingform walls. A simplified method of securing the ends of the first member5 and the second member 10 of the bracket 1 to wooden form walls is bynailing, stapling or screwing the bracket ends to the form walls.

In a fifth embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8, an adjustable bracket 1 iscomprised of two molded members, preferably formed of a molded plastic,phenolic resin, or light metal having structural rigidity but beingbrittle enough to break where desired. The first member 5 is supportableby a first form wall 15, and has a plurality of longitudinally disposedrecessions 35 located between the first end and the second end, therecessions 35 sized to retain a cross-sectional diameter of areinforcing rod 25. The first member 5 is further comprised of aplurality of length adjustment scores 95 at regular intervals along thelength of the second member 10 that allows a worker to selectively andeasily break off an undesired excess length of material to adjust theoverall length of the bracket assembly 1, as shown in detail in FIG. 9.The second member 10 has a first end that is supportable by a secondform 20 wall, and a second end having an end-receiving member with arecession 100 that receives the remaining end of the first element suchthat the first member 5 and the second member 10 are retained inalignment with one another. The second member 10 has a recess 100 toreceive the broken-off end of the first member 5, whereby the twomembers are axially positionable to a desired length of bracket 1.

In a sixth embodiment as shown in FIG. 10, an adjustable bracket 1 iscomprised of a first member 5 having a first end with a wall-engagingsurface that is supportable by a first form wall 15, and a second endthat extends lengthwise, and second member 10 having a first endcomprising a wall-engaging surface that is supportable by a secondopposing form wall 20, and a second end that extends lengthwise. Thisembodiment further comprises a third member 105, as shown in detail inFIG. 11, having a first end with a recession 35 sized to retain across-sectional diameter of at least one reinforcing rod 25, a secondend with a recession 35 sized to retain a cross-sectional diameter of atleast one other reinforcing rod 25, and a longitudinally disposed tubesegment 110 with at least one tube aperture 115 for receiving the secondend of the first member 5 and the second end of the second member 10.The recessions 35 in this embodiment are formed by two bifurcatedupward-angled members at each end of the third member 105, theupward-angled members diverging from each other to enable gathering andretaining a reinforcing rod 25. The first member 5 slidably engages thesecond member 10 along a common longitudinal axis within the tubesegment 110 of the third member 105, which securely holds the firstmember 5 and second member 10 together as an assembly, thereby providingadjustability for a desired length for the bracket 1. The length of thetube segment 110 and its close fit with the first member 5 and thesecond member 10 maintains alignment and rigidity of the assembly, asshown in cross-sectional detail in FIG. 12, and maintains thepositioning of the reinforcing rod recessions 35.

In a seventh embodiment (not shown) an adjustable bracket 1 is comprisedof a first member 5 having a first end with a wall-engaging surface thatis supportable by a first form wall 15, and a second end comprising aplurality of longitudinally disposed recessions located between thefirst end and the second end, the recessions sized to retain across-sectional diameter of a reinforcing rod, and second member 10having a first end comprising a wall-engaging surface 30 that issupportable by a second opposing form wall 20, a second end that extendslengthwise, and a longitudinally disposed tube segment 110 having atleast one aperture 115. The adjustable bracket 1 further comprises asecond member 10 having a first end with a wall-engaging surface 30 thatis supportable by a second form wall 20, and a second end that extendslengthwise for slidable engagement with the tube segment 110 of thefirst member 5. To adjust the length of the bracket assembly 1, a workerwould position the second end of the second member 10 to align with thetube aperture 115 of the tube segment 110 of the first member 5, andslidably engage the second member 10 along a longitudinal axis with thetube segment 110, which holds the first and second members together asan assembly. The added downward force of gravity exerted by thereinforcing rods 25 further holds the first member 5 and the secondmember 10 together.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention has applicability to the field of concrete andmasonry construction, and particularly to a means of supportingreinforcing bars within concrete forms.

In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described inlanguage more or less specific as to concrete and masonry construction.It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited tothe specific means or features shown or described, since the means andfeatures shown or described comprise preferred ways of putting theinvention into effect.

Additionally, while this invention is described in terms of being usedfor supporting reinforcing bars within concrete structures, it will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can beadapted to other uses in industry, and therefore the invention shouldnot be construed as being limited to concrete and masonry construction.The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms ormodifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appendedclaims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine ofequivalents.

1. An adjustable bracket for supporting bars for reinforcing concretestructures, the adjustable bracket comprising: a first member having afirst end comprising a wall-engaging surface supportable by a first formwall, and a second end comprising a plurality of longitudinally disposedrecessions located between the first end and the second end, therecessions sized to retain a cross-sectional diameter of a reinforcingrod; and a second member having a first end comprising a wall-engagingsurface supportable by a second opposing form wall, and a second end forengagement with the second end of the first member; whereby the firstmember and the second member are overlapped to engage each other at anyone of a plurality of locations along a common longitudinal axis toselectively form a desired length for the bracket, and whereby thebracket is supported between the first and second form, and at least onereinforcing rod is placed within a recession of the first member,thereby locking the first and second members together as a rigidassembly.
 2. The adjustable bracket of claim 1, wherein the secondmember further comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposedprojections located between the first end and the second end, theprojections aligned to engage the recessions on the first member.
 3. Theadjustable bracket of claim 1, wherein the first member and the secondmember are a formed rigid wire.
 4. The adjustable bracket of claim 1,wherein the first member and the second member are a formed rigid strip,whereby the first member and the second member laterally engage oneanother.
 5. The adjustable bracket of claim 1, wherein the wall-engagingsurface of the first member and the wall-engaging surface of the secondmember are comprised of upward and outward angles with respect to thecommon longitudinal axis of the bracket, whereby a plurality ofreinforcing bars are suspended to a predetermined depth within a form.6. The adjustable bracket of claim 1, wherein the wall-engaging surfaceof the first member and the wall-engaging surface of the second memberare comprised of downward and inward angles with respect to the commonlongitudinal axis of the bracket, whereby the bracket is securelyretained within a form due to the inward directed spring forces on theoutsides of opposing form walls.
 7. The adjustable bracket of claim 1,wherein the first end of the first member and the first end of thesecond member further comprise at least one score, whereby anundesirable exposed end piece is easily removable after a concretestructure cures.
 8. The adjustable bracket of claim 1, wherein the firstmember further comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposedapertures, and the second member further comprises a plurality ofsecondary longitudinally disposed projections, whereby the first memberis able to be engaged and interlocked with the second member.
 9. Anadjustable bracket for supporting bars for reinforcing concretestructures, the adjustable bracket comprising: a first member having afirst end comprising a wall-engaging surface that is supportable by afirst form wall, and a second end comprising a plurality oflongitudinally disposed recessions located between the first end and thesecond end, the recessions sized to retain a cross-sectional diameter ofa reinforcing rod, and a first surface having a plurality of fastenersdisposed thereon; and a second member having a first end comprising awall-engaging surface that is supportable by a second opposing formwall, and a second end comprising a plurality of correspondinglongitudinally disposed recessions aligned with the recessions on thefirst member, and located between the first end and the second end, anda second surface having a plurality corresponding fasteners disposedthereon and aligned with the fasteners of the first member; whereby thefirst member and the second member are overlapped to engage each otherat any one of a plurality of locations along a common longitudinal axisto selectively form a desired length for the bracket, and the fastenersof the first member securely engage the corresponding fasteners on thesecond member, thereby locking the first and second members together asa rigid assembly.
 10. The adjustable bracket of claim 9, wherein thewall-engaging surface of the first member and the wall-engaging surfaceof the second member are comprised of upward and outward angles withrespect to the common longitudinal axis of the bracket, whereby aplurality of reinforcing bars are suspended to a predetermined depthwithin a form.
 11. The adjustable bracket of claim 9, wherein thewall-engaging surface of the first member and the wall-engaging surfaceof the second member are comprised of downward and inward angles withrespect to the common longitudinal axis of the bracket, whereby thebracket is securely retained within a form due to the inward directedspring forces on the outsides of opposing form walls.
 12. The adjustablebracket of claim 9, wherein the first end of the first member and thefirst end of the second member further comprise at least one score,whereby an undesirable exposed end piece is easily removable after aconcrete structure cures.
 13. An adjustable bracket for supporting barsfor reinforcing concrete structures, the adjustable bracket comprising:a first member having a first end comprising a wall-engaging surfacethat is supportable by a first form wall, and a second end comprising aplurality of longitudinally disposed recessions located between thefirst end and the second end, the recessions sized to retain across-sectional diameter of a reinforcing bar, and a surface having aplurality of scores disposed thereon; and a second member having a firstend comprising a wall-engaging surface that is supportable by a secondopposing form wall, and a second end comprising a means for securelyengaging the second end of the first member; whereby the first member isselectably sized by breaking off an undesirable excess length at one ofthe scores, and a remaining portion of the second end is securelyengaged with the second member along a common longitudinal axis therebyholding the first and second members together as an assembly toselectively form a desired length for the bracket member.
 14. Theadjustable bracket of claim 13, wherein the wall-engaging surface of thefirst member and the wall-engaging surface of the second member arecomprised of upward and outward angles with respect to the commonlongitudinal axis of the bracket, whereby a plurality of reinforcingbars are suspended to a predetermined depth within a form.
 15. Theadjustable bracket of claim 13, wherein the wall-engaging surface of thefirst member and the wall-engaging surface of the second member arecomprised of downward and inward angles with respect to the commonlongitudinal axis of the bracket, whereby the bracket is securelyretained within a form due to the inward directed spring forces on theoutsides of opposing form walls.
 16. The adjustable bracket of claim 13,wherein the first end of the first member and the first end of thesecond member further comprise at least one score, whereby anundesirable exposed end piece is easily removable after a concretestructure cures.
 17. The adjustable bracket of claim 13, wherein thesecond end of the second member comprises a recess for receiving thesecond end of the first member.
 18. The adjustable bracket of claim 13,wherein the wall-engaging surface of the first member and thewall-engaging surface of the second member are comprised of upward andoutward angles with respect to the common longitudinal axis of thebracket, whereby a plurality of reinforcing bars are suspended to apredetermined depth within a form.
 19. The adjustable bracket of claim13, wherein the first end of the first member and the first end of thesecond member further comprise at least one score, whereby anundesirable exposed end piece is easily removable after a concretestructure cures.
 20. A method for supporting concrete reinforcing barsin the construction of concrete structures, the method comprising thesteps of: determining the distance between opposing concrete form wallsfor a structure under construction; selecting an adjustable bracket forsupporting concrete reinforcing bars; assembling the adjustable bracketto provide a length of the bracket corresponding to the distance betweenopposing concrete form walls; inserting the adjustable bracket into achannel between the opposing concrete form walls; and installing atleast one concrete reinforcing bar into the adjustable bracket.